Fanfiction: "The Ones Called Family"
This is the follow-up piece to "Hate Me". If you haven't read "Hate Me" you might want to read it first because this is a direct sequel. If you want to read "Hate Me" for the first time, or if you have already read "Hate Me" and want to read it again the fic can be found in my memories under the tag "Roy/Dick"
Like "Hate Me" this fic is set primarily in the Teen Titans toonverse but it has some of the comic book to fill in the gaps. In this fic I'm assuming that Titans Tower and Star City are both on the west coast of California.
Please drop me reviews. I love knowing how people feel about my work. This fic has also been posted on a couple of the communities.
Title: "The Ones Called Family"
Author: Coldfiredragon
Desciption: After being rejected by Dick, Roy returns to Star City.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, DC Comics, Cartoon Network, and lots of other people own them. I will make no money from this piece.
Roy could not believe he was doing this, he could not believe he was standing outside his guardian's apartment with his fist raised to knock. It was insane, if he had just kept his hormones in check he would still be at Titans Tower. He would still have a home, and a best friend, and he would not be back in Star City about to ask his estranged guardian if he could crash on his couch.
His hand quivered slightly and he dropped it to his side. He hadn't knocked yet. He still had time to back out if he really wanted to. Where would he go though? Dick had made it quite clear that he wasn't welcome back at the tower. Not for the first time Roy cursed his own stupidity and asked himself if everything he touched was destined to go up in flames.
His mother had died when he was an infant, his father had died when he was a boy, Brave Bow when he was thirteen. He thought he had finally found something special when Ollie had taken him in and made him his sidekick but that had only lasted until Ollie met Dinah. Not that Roy disliked Dinah, she had been like a mother to him when she didn't have Ollie in the bedroom and when he had gotten hooked on the drugs she had been there just like Dick had been there. The drugs, that had been his worst screw up to date, until he had pushed Dick away that is. His drug addiction had put he and Ollie at odds and they had never quite set things right, even after he had been clean for almost a year.
Roy was suddenly overcome with the urge to run. Ollie would not be pleased to see him. His presence would only irritate the older archer and make things worse between them. Roy didn't want that, he wanted to try and salvage some relationship with his former mentor. He had just reached down to pick up his bag and leave when the door opened and he came face to face with Oliver Queen.
“How long were you going to stand out here kid?” Roy interpreted the inquisitor y and worried tone of Ollie's voice for disdain and it confirmed Roy's fears. Suddenly he couldn't help but drop his eyes to the floor and in doing so he missed the look of concern that crossed his guardian's face. “Roy are you okay?” The softness of his words caused Roy's eyes to dart upward momentarily before returning to the floor. Silence reigned between them as the younger archer tried to force words past the lump that had formed in his throat.
“Roy?” Now Ollie's voice was tinged with genuine worry.
“I...” The first attempt at speech failed and Roy swallowed hard. “I... I, shouldn't be here.” His hand darted down to grab the strap of his bag but Ollie was quicker and grabbed his wrist. He could feel Roy shaking even from the gentle touch. Immediately the older archer's mind was clouded with endless possibilities of what could have set the boy on edge so badly. His first thought was that Roy had slipped back into his heroin addiction but that didn't seem to be the case. Something deeply emotional was upsetting him and there was no way he was letting Roy leave.
“Calm down kiddo, just come inside and we will talk about it.” He didn't wait for Roy to respond as he gently pulled his ward inside and directed him towards the sofa. When Roy was moving he went back into the hall and collected the duffel bag, bow, and quiver that Roy had left behind. He got back inside and caught the door with his foot to close it. The soft sound of the door falling shut caused Roy to look up from his attempt to memorize the pattern of the rug only to meet the inquisitive face of his guardian. As he did so Ollie couldn't help but notice the dark circles under the boy's eyes and the pain that was haunting the bright green orbs. He knew that whatever was bothering the boy was bad.
“Want to clue me in?” Ollie knew he had to be direct with Roy or he wouldn't get any answers but talking his ward had become a lot more difficult since he had found out that Roy had become a junkie under his nose. He constantly blamed himself for not having noticed that Roy was slowly destroying himself while they lived under the same roof. If it hadn't been for Dinah, Bruce, and Dick he might have lost the boy who was sitting in front of him. He had tried to repair their relationship but Roy had been so distant and when Roy had gone to join the Titans it had seemed like the best solution for all involved, even if it had left things strained between the two of them. Seeing as how Roy still hadn't responded to him he tried again, from a different angle this time.
“Why aren't you with the Titans?” He knew immediately that it was the wrong question to ask but it got him an answer.
“It didn't work out. It wasn't a good fit for me so I left, because of that I need a place to stay.” Ollie knew that Roy wasn't telling him the whole story.
“What did Dick have to say about you leaving?” Roy just stared at the floor. When he finally spoke his voice was barely loud enough to hear.
“we had a falling out. I don't know what to do Ollie.” Suddenly Roy's voice cracked and Ollie was horrified to see tears forming in Roy's eyes. He could count the number of times he had seen Roy actually cry on half a hand. He had no idea how to handle the situation. He was used to dealing with Roy's raging temper and loud mouthed outbursts. Emotional break-downs had never been his specialty. Luckily he was saved from any further reaction when a voice from the hall interrupted them.
“Ollie?” His head snapped up to see Dinah standing there. She was dressed in an over-sized t-shirt and a pair of shorts and Ollie had never been more glad to see her. Her eyes followed his as he glanced down at Roy and immediately the dark haired woman was across the room and pulling Roy into her arms. Roy for his part seemed grateful for the contact as he buried his face against her shoulder and allowed a sob to escape his throat.
“Shh, honey, come on, calm down Roy, I've got you. It's okay, whatever happened it's going to be all right.” Dinah for her part was gently rocking the boy she considered to be her son while run a soothing hand through his short red hair. All the while continuing to whisper gentle words of comfort to the distraught boy. Ollie was amazed at how easily she could interact with Roy while he stood there with no idea what to do. Knowing he had to do something he knelt in front of the pair and gently place his hand on Roy's knee. The young man stiffened momentarily but quickly relaxed as Dinah continued to talk to him.
“It's going to be all right kiddo. Just calm down. I'll get the spare bedroom ready for you okay.” Roy glanced up and nodded and Ollie patted the boy's knee in reassurance before moving away and collecting Roy's things. It wasn't until he reached the spare bedroom that he allowed himself to be upset over the situation. He knew his ward well enough to know that he and Dick wouldn't just 'fall out' over anything. Roy had done something and whatever it was the result was severe enough to damage the friendship between the two boys. Ollie also knew that he couldn't ask Roy about what had happened until Roy was ready to talk about it.
As he was getting the room ready he contemplated the few things he knew. Roy and Dick had obviously had a fight, a big one from the looks of things. He had no way of getting information short of calling Grayson at Titans tower and he was not doing that. The thought of Titans Tower made him stop. It was a several hour drive from the Tower to Star City. It was miracle that he had actually been awake, considering that it was almost two in the morning. He had come out to lock the chain and set the alarm when he had heard someone in the hall. A quick look at the security camera had revealed Roy. With a sigh he pushed the thought away. It was a question for later and one he would definitely be asking.
Having finished in the bedroom he made his way back to the living room. Roy was curled against Dinah and the petite woman was running her hand through his hair. As he approached she looked up at him and as he got closer he realized that Roy had actually fallen asleep against her. Dinah looked back down at the boy in her arms and even the soft lamp light Ollie could see the sadness in her face.
“What happened Ollie?” She asked quietly. The archer raked a hand through his blond hair and let out a frustrated sigh as he sat down opposite Dinah.
“He said he and Dick had a 'falling out'. Whatever that means.” He sighed and looked down at the floor, scratching the back of his neck and shifting uncomfortably. “Let's get him to bed. I'm betting he drove all the way here from the tower. His bike is probably down in the parking garage. I'll check on it in the morning.” Dinah nodded and moved so Ollie could scope Roy into his arms as she did so.
Once he had Roy in his arms Ollie was surprised by how lite his ward was. Roy may have been sixteen but there was hardly an inch of body fat on the boy and what weight there was consisted of lean muscle. As he stood Roy started to stir but didn't awaken fully. Ollie could hear Dinah following him down the hall as he made his way into the bedroom. Ollie lowered Roy into the bed and pulled the blankets around his young ward. As he did so he was taken back by how young Roy looked when he was asleep. He hadn't tucked Roy into bed like this since shortly after Roy had come to live with him.
“I'm sorry kiddo. I really messed up didn't I?” He knew Roy was asleep and couldn't hear him. That was probably the only reason he could say what he said. He knew that Dinah was standing in the doorway so he stood and walked over to her. She thought he was going to walk past her when he stopped behind her and pulled her against his chest. With a sigh he wrapped his arm around her waist as she leaned her head against his chest.
“He'll be okay Ollie.” The older archer tensed against her and frowned. For several moments the two of them stood there and watched Roy shift in his sleep. Suddenly Ollie tightened his grip on Dinah and kissed the top of her head.
“I hope you're right pretty bird.” He reached over and flipped the light switch. The room was instantly plunged into darkness save for the thin slants of moonlight which filtered through the blinds and fell across the bed. “Let's get some sleep.” With that he pulled the door most of the way closed and followed Dinah towards their room.
I hope everybody enjoys this piece and more will come soon.
Coldfire out.
Like "Hate Me" this fic is set primarily in the Teen Titans toonverse but it has some of the comic book to fill in the gaps. In this fic I'm assuming that Titans Tower and Star City are both on the west coast of California.
Please drop me reviews. I love knowing how people feel about my work. This fic has also been posted on a couple of the communities.
Title: "The Ones Called Family"
Author: Coldfiredragon
Desciption: After being rejected by Dick, Roy returns to Star City.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, DC Comics, Cartoon Network, and lots of other people own them. I will make no money from this piece.
Roy could not believe he was doing this, he could not believe he was standing outside his guardian's apartment with his fist raised to knock. It was insane, if he had just kept his hormones in check he would still be at Titans Tower. He would still have a home, and a best friend, and he would not be back in Star City about to ask his estranged guardian if he could crash on his couch.
His hand quivered slightly and he dropped it to his side. He hadn't knocked yet. He still had time to back out if he really wanted to. Where would he go though? Dick had made it quite clear that he wasn't welcome back at the tower. Not for the first time Roy cursed his own stupidity and asked himself if everything he touched was destined to go up in flames.
His mother had died when he was an infant, his father had died when he was a boy, Brave Bow when he was thirteen. He thought he had finally found something special when Ollie had taken him in and made him his sidekick but that had only lasted until Ollie met Dinah. Not that Roy disliked Dinah, she had been like a mother to him when she didn't have Ollie in the bedroom and when he had gotten hooked on the drugs she had been there just like Dick had been there. The drugs, that had been his worst screw up to date, until he had pushed Dick away that is. His drug addiction had put he and Ollie at odds and they had never quite set things right, even after he had been clean for almost a year.
Roy was suddenly overcome with the urge to run. Ollie would not be pleased to see him. His presence would only irritate the older archer and make things worse between them. Roy didn't want that, he wanted to try and salvage some relationship with his former mentor. He had just reached down to pick up his bag and leave when the door opened and he came face to face with Oliver Queen.
“How long were you going to stand out here kid?” Roy interpreted the inquisitor y and worried tone of Ollie's voice for disdain and it confirmed Roy's fears. Suddenly he couldn't help but drop his eyes to the floor and in doing so he missed the look of concern that crossed his guardian's face. “Roy are you okay?” The softness of his words caused Roy's eyes to dart upward momentarily before returning to the floor. Silence reigned between them as the younger archer tried to force words past the lump that had formed in his throat.
“Roy?” Now Ollie's voice was tinged with genuine worry.
“I...” The first attempt at speech failed and Roy swallowed hard. “I... I, shouldn't be here.” His hand darted down to grab the strap of his bag but Ollie was quicker and grabbed his wrist. He could feel Roy shaking even from the gentle touch. Immediately the older archer's mind was clouded with endless possibilities of what could have set the boy on edge so badly. His first thought was that Roy had slipped back into his heroin addiction but that didn't seem to be the case. Something deeply emotional was upsetting him and there was no way he was letting Roy leave.
“Calm down kiddo, just come inside and we will talk about it.” He didn't wait for Roy to respond as he gently pulled his ward inside and directed him towards the sofa. When Roy was moving he went back into the hall and collected the duffel bag, bow, and quiver that Roy had left behind. He got back inside and caught the door with his foot to close it. The soft sound of the door falling shut caused Roy to look up from his attempt to memorize the pattern of the rug only to meet the inquisitive face of his guardian. As he did so Ollie couldn't help but notice the dark circles under the boy's eyes and the pain that was haunting the bright green orbs. He knew that whatever was bothering the boy was bad.
“Want to clue me in?” Ollie knew he had to be direct with Roy or he wouldn't get any answers but talking his ward had become a lot more difficult since he had found out that Roy had become a junkie under his nose. He constantly blamed himself for not having noticed that Roy was slowly destroying himself while they lived under the same roof. If it hadn't been for Dinah, Bruce, and Dick he might have lost the boy who was sitting in front of him. He had tried to repair their relationship but Roy had been so distant and when Roy had gone to join the Titans it had seemed like the best solution for all involved, even if it had left things strained between the two of them. Seeing as how Roy still hadn't responded to him he tried again, from a different angle this time.
“Why aren't you with the Titans?” He knew immediately that it was the wrong question to ask but it got him an answer.
“It didn't work out. It wasn't a good fit for me so I left, because of that I need a place to stay.” Ollie knew that Roy wasn't telling him the whole story.
“What did Dick have to say about you leaving?” Roy just stared at the floor. When he finally spoke his voice was barely loud enough to hear.
“we had a falling out. I don't know what to do Ollie.” Suddenly Roy's voice cracked and Ollie was horrified to see tears forming in Roy's eyes. He could count the number of times he had seen Roy actually cry on half a hand. He had no idea how to handle the situation. He was used to dealing with Roy's raging temper and loud mouthed outbursts. Emotional break-downs had never been his specialty. Luckily he was saved from any further reaction when a voice from the hall interrupted them.
“Ollie?” His head snapped up to see Dinah standing there. She was dressed in an over-sized t-shirt and a pair of shorts and Ollie had never been more glad to see her. Her eyes followed his as he glanced down at Roy and immediately the dark haired woman was across the room and pulling Roy into her arms. Roy for his part seemed grateful for the contact as he buried his face against her shoulder and allowed a sob to escape his throat.
“Shh, honey, come on, calm down Roy, I've got you. It's okay, whatever happened it's going to be all right.” Dinah for her part was gently rocking the boy she considered to be her son while run a soothing hand through his short red hair. All the while continuing to whisper gentle words of comfort to the distraught boy. Ollie was amazed at how easily she could interact with Roy while he stood there with no idea what to do. Knowing he had to do something he knelt in front of the pair and gently place his hand on Roy's knee. The young man stiffened momentarily but quickly relaxed as Dinah continued to talk to him.
“It's going to be all right kiddo. Just calm down. I'll get the spare bedroom ready for you okay.” Roy glanced up and nodded and Ollie patted the boy's knee in reassurance before moving away and collecting Roy's things. It wasn't until he reached the spare bedroom that he allowed himself to be upset over the situation. He knew his ward well enough to know that he and Dick wouldn't just 'fall out' over anything. Roy had done something and whatever it was the result was severe enough to damage the friendship between the two boys. Ollie also knew that he couldn't ask Roy about what had happened until Roy was ready to talk about it.
As he was getting the room ready he contemplated the few things he knew. Roy and Dick had obviously had a fight, a big one from the looks of things. He had no way of getting information short of calling Grayson at Titans tower and he was not doing that. The thought of Titans Tower made him stop. It was a several hour drive from the Tower to Star City. It was miracle that he had actually been awake, considering that it was almost two in the morning. He had come out to lock the chain and set the alarm when he had heard someone in the hall. A quick look at the security camera had revealed Roy. With a sigh he pushed the thought away. It was a question for later and one he would definitely be asking.
Having finished in the bedroom he made his way back to the living room. Roy was curled against Dinah and the petite woman was running her hand through his hair. As he approached she looked up at him and as he got closer he realized that Roy had actually fallen asleep against her. Dinah looked back down at the boy in her arms and even the soft lamp light Ollie could see the sadness in her face.
“What happened Ollie?” She asked quietly. The archer raked a hand through his blond hair and let out a frustrated sigh as he sat down opposite Dinah.
“He said he and Dick had a 'falling out'. Whatever that means.” He sighed and looked down at the floor, scratching the back of his neck and shifting uncomfortably. “Let's get him to bed. I'm betting he drove all the way here from the tower. His bike is probably down in the parking garage. I'll check on it in the morning.” Dinah nodded and moved so Ollie could scope Roy into his arms as she did so.
Once he had Roy in his arms Ollie was surprised by how lite his ward was. Roy may have been sixteen but there was hardly an inch of body fat on the boy and what weight there was consisted of lean muscle. As he stood Roy started to stir but didn't awaken fully. Ollie could hear Dinah following him down the hall as he made his way into the bedroom. Ollie lowered Roy into the bed and pulled the blankets around his young ward. As he did so he was taken back by how young Roy looked when he was asleep. He hadn't tucked Roy into bed like this since shortly after Roy had come to live with him.
“I'm sorry kiddo. I really messed up didn't I?” He knew Roy was asleep and couldn't hear him. That was probably the only reason he could say what he said. He knew that Dinah was standing in the doorway so he stood and walked over to her. She thought he was going to walk past her when he stopped behind her and pulled her against his chest. With a sigh he wrapped his arm around her waist as she leaned her head against his chest.
“He'll be okay Ollie.” The older archer tensed against her and frowned. For several moments the two of them stood there and watched Roy shift in his sleep. Suddenly Ollie tightened his grip on Dinah and kissed the top of her head.
“I hope you're right pretty bird.” He reached over and flipped the light switch. The room was instantly plunged into darkness save for the thin slants of moonlight which filtered through the blinds and fell across the bed. “Let's get some sleep.” With that he pulled the door most of the way closed and followed Dinah towards their room.
I hope everybody enjoys this piece and more will come soon.
Coldfire out.